The ManicaPost
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
MUSHROOM season is upon us and vendors of the delicacy have suddenly mushroomed in the Central Business District pavements as well as major highways, amid fears of poisonous species of an otherwise delicious edible fungus.
Apparently, mushroom farming is gaining ground in urban Zimbabwe, with more and more people growing the delicacy in their backyards to earn extra bucks.
Oyster and button mushrooms are generally farmed in Zimbabwe, but most of it, just like other parts of the world, grow naturally during the rainy seasons.
In Mutare, mushroom vendors have besieged street pavements and buyers have been seen hoarding the delicacy.
Some of the known health benefits of mushroom include decreasing the risk of cancer, lowering cholesterol, protecting brain health, providing a source of Vitamin D, stimulating a healthier gut and supporting a healthy immune system.
In Shona, mushroom is called hohwa or bhowa, depending on the dialet; while in Ndau it is referred to as chowa.
In Ndebele, it is called amakhowa, while in Shangani, it is called chikawa.
Mushroom comes in different types.
A cursory internet research showed that the boletus edulis (dindindi) is mostly found in Manicaland.
This type of mushroom grows in Pine tree areas.
It has a spongy layer of pores rather than gills underneath the cap.
Peaks of abundance occur at the beginning and end of the rainy season.
It has considerable potential for greater use, including export in dried form to Europe.
Amanita zambiana (nhedzi in Shona and amanedza in Ndebele) is the most common wild mushroom in Zimbabwe as it is found in almost all parts of the country throughout the rainy season.
It can be found in abundance at local markets and is sold by the roadsides.
The young caps of nhedzi are hemispherical, sticky and golden-brown in the centre, fading to shiny white at the finely striated edge.
Entire specimens display a delicate frill on the stem, and a large, ornamented, sac-like structure at the base.
The spherical young nhedzi is known as chigumbukumbu in Karanga.
Cantharellus densifolius (nzeve/zheve) is generally considered one of the tastier types of wild mushrooms in the country.
These fawn coloured and medium-sized mushrooms are characterised by densely crowded gills below the cap.
Cantharellus longisporus (firifiti / pfiripfiti / piripiti) is in the chanterelles family.
These mushrooms have a scarlet and yellow colouration and are most common later in the rains.
Termitomyces or termite mushrooms (huvhe, bandapakukutu or bujugwe) are mushrooms that grow from termite nests deep underground.
They have a characteristic root-like extension of the stem and hard, sometimes pointed centre of the cap.
They are predominantly white and mostly appear in the early rains.
They are said to have exceptional nutritional value.
They deteriorate quite rapidly compared to other mushrooms and must therefore be eaten only when very fresh.
Cantharellus cibarius (chihumbiro / chihombiro / chihumbiri) is another chanterelles variety.
This mushroom is considered a cosmopolitan species as it is highly-favoured in Continental Europe.
They are typically funnel-shaped, brightly coloured, and have a distinctive fruity odour.
They are invariably associated with certain indigenous tree species.
These mushrooms are excellent for drying because they retain their flavour so well when reconstituted.
While mushroom is a delicacy, it can be poisonous and people should handle it with caution.
Mutare medical practitioner, Dr Tendai Zuze said: “The first signs of mushroom poisoning include abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting and severe watery diarrhoea. The loss of fluids can be lethal, especially to the very young and the elderly.
“After a few days, death can result from liver and kidney failure caused by poisonous mushroom toxins. In our situation, there is no specific treatment for mushroom poisoning and supportive measures, intravenous fluids and dialysis for kidney failure are mostly used.
“It seems there are some mushrooms with toxins that can cause sudden cardiac arrest. This can explain those people who “wake up dead”.
“Otherwise when someone eats a poisonous mushroom, abdominal symptoms can resolve after a few days, but then kidney and liver damage continues in the background and then they ‘suddenly’ die after more than two weeks.”
In enlightening consumers on the dangers of some mushroom species, Consumer Council of Zimbabwe Manicaland consumer protection officer, Mr Barnabas Masamvu, said: “It is a good relish, but some types are poisonous, for example, mushroom from Gum trees which is known as chovamupengo or howamupengo. The seller should always taste the mushroom when selling.”
